girlichef: Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log) + @freundcontainer g!veaway

You may or may not know that Almond Croissants are one of my absolute favorite things in the universe to eat. I've mentioned. You know, once or twice. There's just something about that gooey, almond center encased in flaky pastry, covered in a smattering of thinly sliced almonds, and capped with a mad flurry of powdered sugar that drives me wild!

I feel almost the same way about Almond Coffeecake. The long, rectangular variety that has that same irresistible line of almond paste down the center. Not to mention the sliced almonds and powdered sugar. The only difference is the moist, rich cake-ish casing. It's dangerous for me to be alone with one.

So, you can probably imagine my joy when, while searching for a Christmas-style pastry to close out #ChristmasWeek, I stumbled upon a traditional Dutch pastry that was basically another version of my beloved Almond Croissant. I'm gonna go ahead and throw this out there - this recipe is FAR too easy. So easy that it should be illegal. Mostly because I almost always have a box of puff pastry in the freezer... across from my stash of nuts (which includes sliced almonds). Also, rare is the month that I can resist picking up a block of homemade almond paste from one of the Amish ladies at the market. Plus, you can bet that there is always a bag of powdered sugar in my pantry.

Banketstaaf is my ultimate ~~nightmare~~ ~~dream~~ ~~nightmare~~ dream!!

Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake snack breakfast dessert almonds puff pastry Christmas pastry Dutch winter

Ingredients (serves ~12)

1 sheet (½ of a 17.3 oz. pkg.) puff pastry, thawed
10 oz. almond paste
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbs. apricot jam

to finish:

confectioners' sugar
glace cherries and/or sliced, toasted almonds and/or whole blanched almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay the sheet of puff pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and roll lightly until you it is 15" long x 9" wide. Cut in half lengthwise.

Roll the almond paste into a log that is ~1" shorter than the pastry (lengthwise). Place on the pastry. Paint the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg. Fold in the short ends first, then brush a bit more egg on the plain squares at the corners. Fold over one long end and then sort of roll it up until you have a thin log; press at the seams. Turn the pastry log over so that the seam is at the bottom. Brush all of the exposed surface with the beaten egg.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for ~25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, pop the apricot jam into the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl for a minute or two, so that it melts a little. If it seems too thick for brushing, thin it with a drizzle of water.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Immediately brush with apricot jam and decorate with glace cherries and/or sliced almonds. Allow to cool a bit.

Dust with confectioners' sugar and cut into fat slices. Serve alongside coffee. (Or don't, your call.)

adapted from About .com

Welcome to day #5 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Christmas Pies and Pastries”. Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

Christmas Apple Pie from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
Pumpkin Cheesecake Fried Pies from Jen of Juanita's Cocina
Chocolate Angel Pie from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Pie from Anuradha of Baker Street
Cheese Danish Pie from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Bakewell Tarts from Isabelle of Crumb
Grasshopper Pie from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Cranberry Fritters from Erin of The Spiffy Cookie
Cinnamon Pecan Crescent Rolls from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
Banketstaaf (Dutch Christmas Log) from Heather of girlichef
Eggnog and Cranberry Christmas Braid from Cathy of The Dutch Baker's Daughter
Raspberry Galette from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

GIVEAWAY
Now that we have shared holiday treat ideas all week long, it's time to give you an opportunity to win a little something in which to package all of these treats (and many others). We're talking tins, boxes, bottles, jars, and shipping containers. Here's the skinny... Freund Container & Supply has generously donated $100 gift certificates for each #ChristmasWeek blogger to give away!

Freund Container & Supply is the largest distributor of glass bottles, containers and wholesale packaging supplies online. Freund offers over 5000 items in stock every day, 98% same day shipping and low-price guarantees. Take a look at Freund’s wide selection of jars, tins, bottles and vials for all your crafting and food related needs!

This giveaway is for one $100 gift certificate to Freund Container & Supply. Gift certificate will expire on March 31, 2013. Gift certificate is a one-time use certificate and must be used in its entirety; any leftover monies on the gift certificate will be forfeited. This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian residents. However, it should be noted that due to current International shipping rates, any Canadian winners will pay higher shipping costs for orders. The giveaway will run from today, December 7th, 2012, through Wednesday, December 12th, 2012.

How to Enter

required: Head over to the Freund Container website and have a quick look around. Come back and leave me a comment in the LINKY TOOL below with something you might like to buy with your gift certificate.

extra entries: You absolutely MUST leave a separate entry in the LINKY TOOL below for each task that you complete (or are already doing). This is the only way for me to accurately draw a winner. All entries will be verified.

1. follow me on Twitter
2. like girlichef on Facebook
3. subscribe to my RSS feed or email feed
4. follow me on Pinterest
5. follow Freund Container on Twitter
6. like Freund Container on Facebook
7. follow Freund container on Pinterest
8. Tweet about this giveaway (can be done once per day): I want to win $100 for @freundcontainer from @girlichef so that I can buy containers & supplies 4 holiday gift giving! http://www.girlichef.com/2012/12/BanketstaafDutchChristmasLogPastry.html

*Only entries submitted in the Linky Tool will count. Contest closes on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 11:59 pm (Eastern).

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, BY RANDOM DRAW WAS #39, RITA (I've sent you an email, Rita, congrats!).

1. Im in for the wire bale air-seal jars, large capacity for all my pantry dry goods . . . \| Visit blog	2. I would want get some of the Tabletop Syrup Glass Bottles - Maple Jugs to fill with goodies for my friends! \| Visit blog
3. I follow you on Twitter. Name = @ Culinary_Cam \| Visit blog	4. I like girlichef on facebook - and everywhere else! FB user name = Camilla M Mann \| Visit blog
5. I follow you on pinterest. User name = constantmotion \| Visit blog	6. I follow you on the G+ Reader \| Visit blog
7. I would love using the Amber Round Glass Bottles for making vanilla extract. Great for presents too! \| Visit blog	8. The round glass jars with cork top & wooden spoon to hold my cinnamon pecans that I make for friends.
9. i would buy the glass syrup containers	10. I would like the syrup containers for my buttermilk syrup
11. would love the indicator bin shelving system!	12. email subscriber!
13. I would like some of the amber jars to make vanilla extract.	14. I would get canning jars and lids. \| Visit blog
15. I follow you on Twitter \| Visit blog	16. I like girlichef on Facebook \| Visit blog
17. I subscribe via email feed \| Visit blog	18. I follow you on Pinterest \| Visit blog
19. I follow Freund Container on Twitter \| Visit blog	20. I like Freund Container on Facebook \| Visit blog
21. I follow Freund container on Pinterest \| Visit blog	22. I Tweeted about this giveaway \| Visit blog
23. Lemoncello Glass Jars - Quad look like they would be great for food gifts	24. I think i would choose the WS861236-P Wire Shelving Kit
25. I follow you on Twitter as MippyFoofalina	26. I follow you via email ( bunnysmip (AT) yahoo (DOT) com
27. I follow you on Pinterest as Mippyfoofalina	28. I follow Freund container on Twitter as MippyFoofalina : )
29. I follow Freund Container on Pinterest as Mippyfoofalina	30. I tweeted: https: //twitter. com/MippyFoofalina/status/277601059038445568
31. Id love to get snap lock containers!	32. I liked Freunds on FB
33. I followed Freunds on Twitter	34. I followed you on Twitter
35. I liked you on FB	36. I tweeted!https: //twitter. com/DefiantlyFree/status/277622702964084736
37. Id probably go with the Compression Tank Sprayer. Im a gardener also, and you can never have too many of these.	38. I follow girlichef on FB
39. I follow Freund Container on FB.	40. I like girlichef on FB
41. I would buy Kraft 100% Recycled Paper Rolls. Weiman® Specialty Wipes, and Decorative Holiday Tins – Santa By The Fireplace	42. Follow you on Pinterest as Kristine Peacock
43. Follow Freund on Twitter as Pudyqat	44. Follow Freund on Pinterest as Kristine Peacock
45. Follow you on Twitter as Pudyqat	46. Follow you on Facebook as Kristine Peacock
47. Tweetedhttps: //twitter. com/pudyqat/status/277642755096846337	48. Follow Freund on Facebook as Kristine Peacock
49. Id get the food-grade buckets and gamma lids. \| Visit blog	50. the liquor bottles as im looking for something to store homemade blackberry liqueor in.

Freund Container & Supply is also offering all #ChristmasWeek blog readers 10% off purchases from now through March 31, 2013. Simply enter code JINGLEME10 to receive your discount!

If you'd like more chances to win a $100 gift certificate from Freund, please make sure you visit today's blog posts from each of the other #ChristmasWeek bloggers!
Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Freund Container & Supply. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not been compensated as part of this giveaway.